Page 29 - Landscape SA 96

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE

A Thick-billed Weaver building his nest from fine threads of A Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Cyperus leaves

Kingfisher with his brown streaked head The common Pied Kingfisher with its The vibrantly coloured Malachite
and turquoise tail feathers is a common black and white plumage is resident and Kingfisher is frequently seen on the water’s
resident, invariably seen close to the dam, breeds on the course. It moves to areas edge of the dam, and is the most common
either fishing or foraging for insects or where water is available, eating mainly small resident kingfisher. It feeds on small
reptiles on the ground. This kingfisher fish but also other aquatic fauna. It has the fish, tadpoles, small frogs, reptiles and
nests in burrows in the banks of the dam ability to hover for lengthy periods over insects. Both male and female burrow into
or river. The Giant Kingfisher with his rust- water bodies, enabling it to fish well away the earth banks of the dam for breeding
red chest feathers is seasonally resident, from the banks. The nest is a tunnel in purposes.
but Coetzee has not observed them the dam banks. The Woodland Kingfisher
breeding on the course. They smash large is migratory and an insect eater which Coetzee’s photograph shows the mainly
fish and crabs on rocks until dead before nests in trees, particularly favouring the solitary Green-backed Heron in its breeding
swallowing the flesh. Weeping Willow or, as Coetzee mentions, plumage, perched on a Weeping Willow
choosing abandoned barbets nests. branch. This heron edges round the lower

Malachite Kingfisher often seen plunging into the dam Green-backed Heron in breeding plumage

Landscape SA • Issue 96 2020 27